Chasing Miss Conner •NEW VERSION•

IV

Four

"Mom, I'm home!" I yelled as I opened the door. I knew she wasn't home but I called out anyways just in case. I almost tripped over the box on the steps. "What the-"

I picked it up with a frown, it was addressed to my mom from Florida, but not with an address I recognized. I shook my head with a sigh. Better stop trying dad.

She's not going to take you back after you abandoned her and the love of her life. I set the box down on the counter and wrote a little note, sticking it onto the top.

Mom, don't open, it's not worth it.

-Your greatest miracle.

I knew the last bit would make her smile. It was an inside joke between us. As a neurosurgeon she couldn't save everyone, and so I always liked to remind her that whatever happened at work, she was always here saving me. Shaking my head again, I decided to run a bath. My chest was starting to hurt after all the textbooks I'd had smooshed against it.

My phone chirped as I was about to get in and my smile grew as I saw a friend request from Caleb on Facebook. Not very sneaky, dude. I accepted it before setting my phone on nighttime so it would mute my notifications.

I sunk into the warm water with a contented sigh, replaying the events of the night in my head. I tried as hard as I could, but nothing helped me relax. I just kept thinking of a certain blond woman that worked at my school.

Frustrated with my girly mind, I got out about thirty minutes later and drained the tub, slipping a white t-shirt I'd brought in with me, along with a pair of cookie monster boxers. When I walked back into the kitchen I realized I hadn't had anything to eat yet.

I decided against it, deciding to make a coffee instead before heading up to my room to finish some homework. I was halfway through my math homework and it was nearly 11:30 when mom came home, I heard her set her keys down and call for me. "Honey I'm home!"

I chuckled as I walked into the kitchen, seeing her scrubs peek out from behind the fridge. She appeared a minute later with a container of frozen pasta. "Hey madre, how was work? Any exciting stories today?" Sticking the container in the microwave, she turned to face me.

I grew worried at the sad and slightly scared look in her eyes. It wasn't very often that my mom was affected by work."Yeah actually and it almost made me run home and install one of those baby monitor things in every room because it freaked me the hell out. This teenage girl was walking home from a friends and these two guys jumped her. They beat her nearly to death and raped her. She had some pretty extensive bleeding in her brain and multiple lacerations across her chest and face and abdomen. The beat her with a baseball bat." My hands flew to my face in horror.

"Oh wow. That's awful." She nodded sadly. "Yeah, it is. And I know I don't usually pull the mom card, but I'm going to have to up your curfew to 10:30. Just until we get the hang of this place, okay? And I don't want you going anywhere at night unless someone is with you." Her eyes pleaded at me to understand. I nodded, knowing that this had to be seriously bugging her if she had to reinforce my curfew. She hated feeling like she was keeping me from experiencing life.

"That's fine mama. I get it." I grabbed my empty coffee cup from the table and returned it to the sink, kissing her on the cheek. "But if I want to go clubbing at 10:29 I'm totally dragging your ass with me." She laughed out loud and swatted at my butt as I jerked away.

"I'm heading up to bed, I've been up doing homework." I said before I rounded the corner of the stairs. She smiled at me and nodded. "I'm heading that way too. I'm beat."

"Night!" I called up, smiling as I heard her yell back. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

~ ~ ~

I didn't get to hang out with Genny until Wednesday night, because I spent so much time trying to get caught up with this school's curriculum. There was still a lot I had to do if I even wanted to dream about graduating. But thankfully, Wednesday night rolled around and Genny and I were hanging out in my room.

"She really gave you a ride home? Wow, what I wouldn't give to be alone with that woman." Genny sighed wistfully from her spot on my bed. I threw a pillow at her. "Hey, she's not a sexbot. She's our English teacher." I grumbled.

Genny's pierced eyebrows raised. "Hmm seems like someone's a little possessive." I blushed and shook my head. "No, I just like her as a person, that's all."

Ya right you lying sack of shit. My brain countered.

"Mhm sure. Tell that to your vibrator at night." I gasped and threw another pillow at her, satisfied when it hit her square in the face. "You are absolutely raunchy." She grinned at me as she hugged the pillow to her chest, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Don't act like you weren't ogling her butt all through class. I have eyeballs too, hun." I covered my face and groaned, beyond embarrassed that she was right.

"God why did it have to be her? Why couldn't it have been anyone else!" Genny's eyes showed sympathy. "Sorry baby cakes. Unfortunately we don't get to pick who gets our insides in a knot."

I groaned again and buried my face in my pillow. "And this boy at school asked me out as well. What the hell is up with this school?"

She chuckled and leaned over the side of the bed, putting a hand on my back, appeasing me and my little freak out moment. "I could make out with you tomorrow if you'd like me to chase the boy away."

I turned to look at her, hugging the pillow to my chest. "Nah, it's ok. Maybe going out with him will keep my mind off of Miss Conner." Genny gave me a look that said I was full of shit for even thinking that would work.

I gave her one back that said not to argue. She put her hands up in surrender, grinning. "Okay okay, chill. So who's the boy that asked you out?"

"Caleb Ryce, I think he's a football player?" I questioned. Alarm flared across Genny's features and she shot up into a sitting position in my bed. "Caleb asked you out?" She all but shouted.

I jerked back in surprise. "Um, yeah? Why? Is he a bad guy?" Genny snorted. "Bad is putting it mildly. He has a reputation around school of making a bet with the guys that he'd be the first to bang the new girls. And when they don't go for it, he brings out the heavy stuff." She growled, her nails digging into her palms.

Worry and apprehension grew about Friday. Her reaction opened doors to questions that I knew I probably shouldn't be asking right now. I tried for the nonchalant approach. "Has he ever, you know, drugged someone?" Genny looked at me, something dark and sad in her eyes.

"I don't remember. I don't think so." Suddenly my worry turned into full blown fear and I knew I had to cancel on Friday. I felt bad for believing rumors before I'd even gone out with the guy, but rumors like this aren't to be taken lightly. Sleeping around I could deal with, but not drugging and roofie-ing someone so you could sleep with them.

That was worth the cancel.

And chapter four is up! Good morning guys! I hope you all are having a good day :) Please vote/comment. I'm very happy with how this is playing out, but as always your feedback is greatly appreciated!